For many decades electrical power has been provided in structures through wires run into an over-current protection enclosure located in the structure, and then branching outward from the over-current protection enclosure to dozens or hundreds of receptacles, switches and outlet boxes of various types. Some of these electrical junctions are typified within prior art patents such as U.S. Pat. No. 3,609,647. These switches, receptacles and boxes contain varying numbers of insulated electrical wires of varying lengths by the time the installation is complete. Often times these various boxes contain a high density of wires within the confined area. After all of the necessary wires are within these boxes, the electrician must mount a switch, or electrical receptacle or other “face plate” or “plaster ring” type device on or in said box using screws threaded through preset holes. The threaded portion of the screw after extending toward and into the interior of the box often results in inadvertent contact with the wires located therein. Although most screws for this purpose have blunted tips, these metallic screws and their sharp metal threads have a propensity for cutting into the insulation of one or more wires within the void, sometimes causing the wire to wrap around the screw. This may cause an electrical arcing that further erodes the insulation of one or more wires, or it may cause a constant or intermittent electrical short circuit. Both of these outcomes create the potential for a dangerous fire. While, these electrical short circuits may, at times, be detected, they are very time consuming to find and repair, requiring many or most receptacles and switches to be disassembled and visually inspected. At other times, the wire insulation damaged by the sharp screw threads (or other fastening device) may function normally for weeks or months until a particularly heavy load is placed upon them. In all, the simple abrasion of wires caused by these mounting screws or other securing elements costs millions of dollars annually in lost productivity and countless millions in electrical fires.
Good trade practices as well as upcoming safety standards require professionals within the electrical trades to adopt economical solutions to these problems. Ideal solutions will enable professionals to easily incorporate the component or method to the normal installation procedure for new construction or remodeling. Retrofits to bring older electrical boxes up to modern code should likewise be cost effective and as simple as possible.
The resultant challenges call for a solution that solves wire protection/abrading issues in a wide assortment of electrical installations both domestically and abroad. Additionally, a solution must be simple and sufficiently cost effective to encourage the wide adoption even by home-owners and other non-professional installers. Such solutions must be suitable for retrofits without heavy reconstruction demands allowing all updated receptacles, switches and the like to gain the safety benefits of the invention at a minimal investment of time and money.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a simple hardware solution that effectively shields all wires within an electrical box from abrasion/damage of screw threads and/or screw tips (as well as the shanks and tips of other fastening devices) within an electrical receptacle, switch, or similar junction no matter how crowded said junction is with insulated wiring.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a protective structure suitable for new construction and the upgrade or remodel of existing structures with a minimum of construction activity, and further allows even home owners and other non-professional installers to utilize said benefits of the invention thereby overcoming some of the disadvantages of prior art.
It is still further an object of the present invention to provide a protective structure that can be adapted for use with existing structures by the manufacturer of same, as well as by electricians and handymen alike.
These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art in view of the present specification, claims, and drawings.